Sacred Landscapes in the Peloponnese from prehistory to post-byzantine timesSparti, Greece, 30 March - 1 April 2012

In collaboration with the 5th Ephorate of Byzantine Studies (EBA) under the auspices of the Municipality of Sparti.

The sacred in all its expressions – religious architecture, holy places, sacred art, creed, myth and legend, etc. – has throughout history been located in and responded to the natural and cultural landscape. The aim of the 3rd CSPS International Conference is to bring together scholars to discuss sacred landscapes in the Peloponnese from prehistory to post-Byzantine times with a focus on the following themes:

1. Sacred landscapes, identity/ethnicity
2. The Sacred in the natural landscape and seascape
3. ‘Sacred’ economies and the ownership of land
4. Setting of the sacred in art, literature, folklore and mythology
5. Pollution and purity and their spatial configuration
6. Ritual performance in its setting
7. Pilgrimage and movement through the landscape